MUSSELS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH PESTO

Mussels on the Half Shell with Pesto image

Yield Makes 40

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, crushed with side of knife
40 fresh mussels, scrubbed, debearded
4 cups fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise

Steps:

Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in large pot. Working in batches, add mussels to pot. Cover; cook until mussels open, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large bowl. Discard any that do not open. Cool mussels. Strain cooking liquid; reserve 1 cup.
Remove mussels from shells, reserving half of each shell. Transfer mussels to medium bowl and refrigerate.
Finely chop basil and garlic in processor. With processor running, gradually add reserved 1 cup cooking liquid and oil and process until well blended. Blend in cheese and mayonnaise. Transfer pesto to large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add mussels and toss to coat. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate reserved shells.)
Spoon mussels and pesto into reserved shells. Arrange on platter.